Top News

Arsenal talisman Bukayo Saka surprisingly shunned Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard when asked to name his best team-mate. In fact, the England star didn't name anyone in the current Gunners dressing room.

While he may be just 24 years old, Saka is now the leader of the old guard at the Emirates and the longest-serving member of Mikel Arteta's squad. Dozens have come and gone in the years since Unai Emery handed him his pro debut in November 2018, but one name stands out as the most effective colleague. While this season's crop have put together arguably the best title challenge of the Arteta era to date, it's a name from Saka's past that remains top of the pile. Instead of any current comrades, Saka picked out Mesut Ozil as the Arsenal star who had impressed him most.

"High quality player," said the winger while speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily when asked to give one name above all others. "Fun to play with him, fun to watch him."

Mention of the German's name may rankle some fans of the club. This is due to the way Ozil left in January 2021.

Despite being a fan favourite for much of his time in north London after arriving from Real Madrid in 2013, Ozil's Emirates tenure ended on a sour note. Arteta omitted the No. 10 from his squads at the start of the 2020/21 season before his contract was terminated six months early in January 2021, and he left to join Fenerbahce.

Despite that disappointing end, the impression he left on Saka was still significant. And this season's praise wasn't the first time the Englishman indicated his amazement at the German's impact.

"He plays in his own world," Saka told Football Focus back in 2023. "Some of the things he does, and you look at him, just wow."

Only a handful of players in the current Arsenal squad had the same pleasure of playing with Ozil. Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are the lucky few who got their chances alongside Arsenal's 2015/16 Player of the Season.

It was during Ozil's time at the Emirates that the Gunners won four FA Cups, with three of those secured under Arsene Wenger. Having seen a first-team star conjure up such success, mostly while he was still in the academy, it makes sense as to why Saka might put his old comrade on such a pedestal.

However, with a chance to finally end the club's 22-year Premier League title drought this term, fans will hope he has a new best team-mate come this summer. And with Rice high in the running to be named PFA Player of the Year, his fellow England staple may be a top candidate.